Why does not the Skull go away.

I think this is what happens:

A system has to fail to morale checks before it flips. The skull indicates that it has failed its first check. Even though you have fixed the problem, all it would take is one for failed check in the future and it would flip. The skull remains there so you remember this.

What sort of sense does that make, though?

If having 2X some other influence makes you make a resist check, then getting your influence to 2X the aliens should let you make a check to get rid of it. What, because some system was in love with another culture 20 years ago, it's still on the cusp of flipping today? Or worse, because a system nearly flipped to the Drengin in 2182, it's 1 step from flipping to the Torians?

My feeling is that it's a bad design element that they won't acknowledge or change given the small numbers of us complaining. That doesn't change how bad of a design element it is, though.

I agree with C Monkey.

One time i gave away a tiny system with the skull to a minor with one other system- a very weak one...the next turn i seized it back and built it up and there
was never a skull on it again.

Doug

This really bugs me, too. I'd consider the a defect. Any other explaination as to why the skull doesn't reset makes no sense.

I agree that it is a bit annoying that the skull won't go away, but right now, it takes to failed checks for the system to revolt. So that skull will stay so you remember.

~SDC~

Sure, two failed checks, but two failed checks from two completely different cultures? or two failed checks separated by decades?

It's a reminder that the underlying system is flawed more than anything else. When I get a skull in 2179 and it's still the in 2204 when I control 90% of the systems and influence, I don't buy the 'it's just a reminder' explanation.

It's a turn signal that never shuts off even after you've gotten home, parked in your driveway, and ate dinner on the couch

Very true. I hope that is fixed. When it first happened to me, I did wonder what was happening. Maybe it'll be incorperated in future patches.

~SDC~

I'd be more optimistic of this if it ever got mentioned. I know we're not supposed to harp on "our favorite bugs" but sometimes it would be nice if a dev would just acknowledge that they're aware something exists and it's actually a bug or intentional.

It bugs me too , it should be removed , may be not when problem gone but at least when you have a "bonus" influence on this planet .

~SDC~

Why did I think they had to fail two checks *in a row*?

maybe there should be a number of years that go by before the skull goes away OR if your influence in the area rises to dwarf the race that gave you the skull
in first place.

Maybe in those 2 instances..we'll get a free check and
the skull will vanish.

or maybe it is the skull itself that bothers us

having a skull next to a happy planet seems a bit unnerving...maybe it should be another symbol...like
a leaf LOL

This is one of the most frequently asked questions, so you are not alone.

Let's convert this thread to constructive suggestions. The skull should disappear when:

A. The sector turns blue (your influence in that sector is paramount).
B. 5 (or 10) years have passed
C. The planet is not in danger of flipping (calculated by some black box computation)

Second question:

When the skull is erased, do you get that second chance back? In other words, can the skull reappear on that planet again if it is in danger of flipping, or next time, does it flip without warning?

Which ones do you support, or do you like it the way it is?

I like a A and/or B + when skull goes away you get two more chances again, but I could be persuaded otherwise.

I think the most logical system is this:

When a system is located in a sector where another race has 2X the influence, it makes a morale check each turn. After the first failure, you get the skull indicating it's on the cusp of flipping. A second failure and the system defects.

A skull is just an indicator that there is a failed morale check flag present for that system. Although the skull may be present, a system must fail two checks from a single race, the skull has its causative race associated with it. You can't flip to the Drengin because the Torians initiated a failed morale check.

If another race achieves 2X influence in a sector and a system fails a morale check to that race and there is already a skull, the skull remains and the flag is replaced with the new race - the system does not flip in this case.

The skull goes away if at any point the system's owner race's influence exceeds 2X the influence of any other race with influence in that sector.

I am also not opposed to a timer of 5 years as was suggested above as another way to reset the skull.

Hmmmm... do the A.I. races have a permanent skull on their planets? I know that they get them, but do they ever go away? If so, then human planets should follow the same rule as the others.

By far the easiest solution:

Make the chance for flipping smaller and have the
planet flip with only a single failed check.

Yes, but does easiest = best? It most cases I think not.

How about this:

Instead of the generic skull icon, you get an icon for each race that is exerting enough influence on the system to possibly flip it.

You would also get a warning each turn to remind you that the system is ripe for flipping.

System can only flip after two consecutive turns of being flippable by the same empire and only requires a single failed check to flip.

Um, Civ Monger, have you played this game? Single check, 2 turns needed would be about a million times worse than what we have now. There is simply zero way to avoid being in danger of flipping for several turns, sometimes years.

The issue discussed is not the base mechanics of flipping which are fine, but the lack of reset and the lack of intelligent design regarding the source of the morale checks.

Also, warning EACH turn? Good lord, there's already quite enough crap to click through each turn.

The bit about a symbol indicating the encroaching influence is a good one though.

I just conquered a System. On the very next turn, the Skull appears. 2 turns later, the rest of my fleet arrives and I conquered the other 2 systems in that sector, giving me complete control. Its been 36 turns and the skull is still there. I have 100% morale and 99% of the sector influence.

My suggestions:

1) There should be no skull for 1 year after conquering a system. Its your troops on the ground.

2) After 1 year of owning 51%+ of a sector's influence, the skull disappears.

3) After 1 year (not 1 month) of the skull, the system then flips if it again fails the culture test. This gives you time to build Cultural Centers, propaganda centers, Starbases, ect. For this to work, there should be an indicator on the detail screen which gives the status of the cultural battle for the star system. As of now, the only cultural indicators are for sector control.

4) This bug could already be fixed in the new exp pack. SD?

The everlasting skull and crossbones effect also happens to the AI. The reason is that the developers haven't hashed out the criteria for how and when the graphic should go away.

As TheoLeo points out this is something that may be resolved in the expansion pack.